Recipe: Pumpkin Protein Muffins

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I think this is my favorite time of year... while I love a cool breezy Spring, and seriously dig chilling poolside in the Summer, Fall brings all those wonderful flavors, colors, scents and... recipes! I LOVE pumpkin! And I love using it in recipes. I am currently working on my Fall/Winter tan, based on the amount of pumpkin I'm eating! LOL! Gotta love that beta-carotene! Today's recipe utilizes this wonder-food and is a great way to not only boost your nutrients, but enjoy a tasty-post-workout snack!

GF tip... check your ingredient labels, as this could easily be made gluten free!

Chelle's Pumpkin Protein Muffins

Makes 12 frosted muffins

Ingredients
● 1/2 cup quick oats
● 1/2 cup coconut flour
● 1 Tablespoon baking powder
● 2 Tablespoons Pumpkin Pie Spice
● 1 cup Vanilla Protein Powder
● 1/4 teaspoon sea-salt
● 1 cup pumpkin (not pie mix)
● 1 Tablespoon Vanilla extract (pure)
● 2 whole eggs
● 3/4 cup Unsweetened vanilla almond milk
● * 1/4 cup plain fat free Greek yogurt - optional (see Tips & Substitutions below)
● * 1/4 cup maple syrup (pure) - optional (see Tips & Substitutions below)
● * 1 oz chopped chocolate (see Tips & Substitutions below)

Directions
● Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
● Place foil cupcake liners in a muffin tin (12) and spray lightly with cooking oil.
● In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients together until well blended.
● In a smaller bowl, using a hand mixer, blend pumpkin, eggs, Greek yogurt, maple syrup and vanilla.
● Add pumpkin mix to the large bowl, stir ingredients together, adding almond milk a little at a time until batter looks like cookie dough.
● Stir in the chopped chocolate.
● Drop batter by heaping tablespoons into the foil cupcake liners, dividing evenly among the 12 cups.
● Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes, until you can insert a knife into a muffin and it comes out clean.
● Remove pan and place on wire rack to cool for 10 minutes, then remove the muffins from the pan, placing on the wire rack to cool completely.

Frosting

Ingredients:
● 4 oz fat free or low-fat cream cheese (I used Neufchatel)
● 1/3 cup scoop vanilla protein powder
● 1/4 cup maple syrup (pure)
● 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract (pure)
● Optional - 1 tsp to 1 Tbsp pumpkin puree plus 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
Directions
● With a hand mixer, in a medium size bowl, blend ingredients until smooth.
● Divide evenly among the 12 muffins.
● Store in airtight container in refrigerator for up to a week.

Nutrition Info per Muffin (frosted): 166 calories, 10 g protein, 20 g carb, 3 g fat, 3 g fiber, 11 g sugar (all natural), 242 mg sodium.
Nutrition Information: Chelle's Pumpkin Protein Muffin Recipe

Tips & Substitutions

Maple Syrup: You can substitute a sugar-free maple syrup for the pure maple in this recipe. I had great results with Ali's Natural Maple Flavored Sugar Free Syrup (sweetened with Stevia).

Chocolate: You can substitute your favorite sugar-free chocolate for the real chocolate in this recipe, but with just 1 oz spread out in 12 muffins, if your diet allows - go for the real! The higher the % on the chocolate, the more antioxidants and less sugar you get. I personally like 78% best, but my family likes the 64% (unless they twist my arm and I let 'em have milk chocolate).

Greek Yogurt: The yogurt in this recipe really made the muffins more cakey - soft and smooth. When I made it without yogurt, they were pretty dense. Your call - if your diet allows for it, I recommend using the Greek yogurt.

Vanilla (pure): Always use pure vanilla extract. Google how imitation vanilla is made and you'll never use it again. Scary stuff. Also, read the labels and go for the one that either doesn't use alcohol or lists the alcohol at the bottom of the ingredient list. Keep an eye out, too, for sugar. Some brands add sugar to vanilla extract.